25 Days of Draco and Harry
by Onaxe
Summary: A series of 25 drabbles based on daily photo prompts. Draco/Harry. Slash.
1. Quiet Like the Snow

A/n: This is a series of 25 drabbles, based on daily photo prompts based on the slythindor100 community on lj. I'm going to try to keep the stories connected like chapters, but we'll have to see how the prompts go. Enjoy!

Warning: This chapter is angsty.

**Quiet Like the Snow**

Draco closed his eyes, his face turned up to the sky, revelling in the silence of this secluded area of Hogsmeade. No-one yelling or throwing hexes in his direction. No-one to curse him and his family, spitting out the name 'Malfoy' like it was a reviled taste on their tongue. No-one to voice the doubts of his own self-worth that had been niggling in the back of his mind ever since he'd escaped punishment at the Death Eater trials.

It was simply him, the gently falling snow drift and the soft moonlight. He sighed as he heard a crunching of snow to his left, having known the peace wouldn't last.

"Come on out, Potter. I know you're there," Draco said, tilting his head to look at the air beneath the nearest lit lamp-post.

There was a beat of hesitation before the air rippled and Potter appeared, sliding off that cursed invisibility cloak of his and tucking it into the crook of his elbow.

"How did you know?" Potter asked, looking faintly amused of all things.

"You're the worst stalker I've ever had," Draco replied, smirking. "You really need to work on your stealth."

Potter nodded in acquiescence. A comfortable, yet cold silence fell between them and Draco found himself hoping it would last. But then, Potter always had a way of ruining things for him.

"They're wrong you know," Potter told him, his voice soft. "About you. They're wrong."

Draco swallowed hard and looked away. "But they're really not," he disagreed.

"Malfoy..." Potter started, sounding frustrated.

"No, Potter, they're right!" Draco snapped, his body warming from his slow burning anger. He had to be angry. If he wasn't angry, he'd break down and cry and that wasn't an option. Not here, not in front of Potter. "I tortured people for the Dark Lord. I let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts. The people who died in that battle; their blood is on my hands!"

"It was the Death Eaters that killed them, Malfoy. Not you," Potter said, his voice infuriatingly calm. "It wasn't your fault."

"I'm a Death Eater!" Draco yelled, tugging up the sleeve of his jacket and shirt to reveal the ugly black of the Dark Mark marring his pale skin. "Isn't this proof enough for you?"

Potter shook his head and Draco growled, wanting to make him angry, scare him off, anything. He didn't want to hear what Potter had to say, he didn't want the reasonable words to filter through to his core and make him feel hope. But Potter was just as stubborn as he was.

"What you did, you did for the sake of your family," Potter told him, slowly and carefully walking towards Draco with his hands raised placatingly in the air before him, as though Draco were a skittish animal about to bolt. "You made some bad choices, yes. But you did it out of love for your parents. You don't deserve to be punished for that."

Draco shook his head and closed his eyes, hating that tears were flowing freely down his cheeks now, hating more so that Potter could see them. Warmth enveloped him and Draco's eyes shot open, shocked to find himself in Potter's embrace.

"They're wrong," Potter whispered stubbornly into his hair. "You deserve to be free."

Draco found himself wondering as his eyes drifted shut, what it would take for things to remain quiet like this; safe within Potter's arms.


	2. For Your Smile

Warning: I think this one is still a little angsty? But not as much.

**For Your Smile**

Draco was unsure of how long it was before he finally pulled away from Potter's embrace, avoiding eye contact, his previous display of emotion leaving him feeling awkward and slightly embarrassed.

Potter, however, seemed reluctant to release his hold, his hands sliding down to grip Draco's upper arms to prevent him from moving too far away.

"I..." Draco started, talking to the floor as he nibbled on his lower lip, unsure of what it was he wanted to say. "Potter, I-"

"Harry!"

The sudden cry of his name had Potter leaping away from Draco as though he'd been hit by a stinging hex, his hands lifted in the air in a clear display of 'I'm innocent!'.

Granger was ambling towards them, looking slightly ridiculous in a bright yellow jacket. Her bushy brown hair billowed out from under a knitted woollen cap, an old Gryffindor scarf typically wrapped around her neck.

"Hey, Hermione!" Harry greeted, casting Draco an uncertain look before trudging off to meet her.

Granger's gaze flicked to Draco and away in a dismissive manner, perhaps hoping if she ignored his existence then he'd eventually vanish into thin air. Draco glowered in return, watching her talk to Potter in hushed tones a few feet from where he stood.

She appeared to be trying to persuade Potter of something, a concerned frown on her face as she gently touched his arm. Potter shook his head with a soft smile, his head tilted towards her in a familiar manner as he spoke.

Draco ground his teeth together, his wand slipping into his hand even before he thought about it. He hated that Granger could touch Potter like that; without any fear that she'd be brushed off, rejected as something vile and unworthy. He hated the way Potter looked at her, with a gentle affection that spoke of years of friendship. Most of all though, he loathed that he would never have a relationship like that with Potter, having already been denied the chance all those years ago when Potter refused his hand.

With no thought of the consequences, Draco swished his wand in the air with a muttered, "_Exigus vertex!_"

A wind picked up at his feet, gathering clumps of snow in its wake. It grew quickly, swirling towards the two Gryffindors. They let out mutual cries of surprise as the wind enveloped them, trapping them within a whirlwind of snow.

Draco watched in quiet amusement as Potter flapped about, covering his face as he was pelted by the miniature clumps of snow. Granger, however, kept her head and ruined his fun by casting a quick _'finite incantatem'_.

The whirlwind immediately vanished, the remaining snow falling heavily over their ducked heads. Draco expected an angry outburst, for wands to be drawn and hexes to be fired in his direction in the name of revenge. He didn't expect for the two Gryffindors to burst out into peals of laughter, teasing each other's appearances as they brushed the snow from their shoulders.

Potter turned to him, a wide grin spread across his face that sent heat pooling through Draco's chest and up into his face, warming his cheeks. A single thought crossed his mind at that point. He would do anything if it meant he could always see that smile beaming towards him; as bright as the very sun.


	3. For Everything

A/n: Sorry, this is a day late! Hopefully I'll get the next one done tonight as well.

**For Everything**

The next morning found Draco wandering about the Manor grounds, using his wand to adorn various shrubs and bushes with red velvet ribbons. The decorations were fairly subdued compared to how the Manor was usually prepared for this time of year, but Draco felt they were more suitable to the general atmosphere than the usual bright floating lights and dazzling colours.

Despite attempting to focus on the task at hand, Draco's mind kept wandering back to the previous night, when Potter had cast that damnable smile in his direction. It had been so bright, so full of warmth, that it had stirred thoughts and emotions in Draco that he desperately did not want to face.

Panicking over what he'd felt, Draco had apparated straight home without another word. He sighed, directing another ribbon to wrap around the nearest thin tree. Potter must have taken him for a complete fool, first bursting into tears over something stupid, then attacking him and Granger with a snow whirlwind before finally vanishing like he thought the hounds of hell were after him.

"Draco, darling!"

Pausing in his decorating, Draco turned to find his mother walking towards him, waving a letter above her head. He frowned, immediately recognising the broken Ministry seal covering the back.

"Wonderful news!" Narcissa smiled as came up to him. "We've got permission to visit your father in Azkaban on Christmas day."

Draco stared at her in astonishment. "But I thought they said it was impossible until after father's appeal?"

"So did I, but here!" Narcissa placed the letter in his hand. "It seems he just keeps helping us."

Frowning, Draco skimmed the rest of the contents, freezing when he reached the end. There, in the bottom left corner, written in a messy scrawl, was Harry Potter's signature.

"We'll have to invite him to our Christmas ball!" Narcissa decided.

Draco snapped his gaze up to her. "What? Mother, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Nonsense!" Narcissa flapped her hand at him dismissively. "It's the least we can do after all his help. Make sure to invite him, Draco."

Draco sighed in defeat, knowing his mother would never let it down if he refused. Once he'd finished decorating the grounds, Draco retreated to the study, scrawling out a quick formal invitation. After a moments thought, he made another out to Weasley and Granger. Potter would be more likely to come if he had his friends to keep him company after all.

He paused after summoning his eagle owl, Bartimeus. Grabbing his quill, he scribbled a quick note on the back of Potter's invitation before quickly sending them both off before he could change his mind. Leaning against the window sill, Draco watched Bartimeus silhouette as it quickly flew out of sight, wondering what Potter would make of his short little message.

_Thank you. For everything._

_Yours,_

_Draco._


	4. No Where Else

A/n: Two updates in one day! I think I need to go lie down... Enjoy!

**No Where Else**

"Will you stop fidgeting?" Pansy snapped. "What are you so nervous about?"

Draco glared back at her, slowly lowering his hands from where they'd been fiddling with his silver cloak clasp for the past half-hour since the ball started. "I'm not nervous."

"Stop acting like you are, then," Pansy hissed back, grabbing a couple of champagne flutes from a floating tray as it passed and shoving one into Draco's hand. "Here, drink this and stop fussing. You look fine."

"Of course I do, I'm a Malfoy," Draco shot back, ignoring Pansy's eye roll as he sipped at the champagne, allowing his gaze to rove the ballroom.

The party was well in swing, a surprising amount of guests milling about and socialising with drinks in hand. He allowed a small smile as he spotted his mother chatting with a couple of elder gentleman from the Wizengamot, clearly in her element as she effortlessly made small talk.

Though it was well past the point for a fashionably late arrival, Potter and his friends had yet to show. Draco grimaced, swirling his glass in a practised manner. In retrospect, perhaps sending that note with Potter's invitation hadn't been the wisest of moves, especially with how he'd signed it. He could only hazard what Potter had made of that; Draco could barely understand why he'd done as such himself. It had just seemed appropriate at the time.

_Salazar_, Potter had probably interpreted it the wrong way and was now deftly avoiding Draco at all costs. He couldn't really blame Potter though. After all no-one would want to willingly associate with a former Death Eater who also was your enemy for the past 9 years, Draco thought bitterly.

"You're doing it again," Pansy told him, annoyed as she slapped his hands away from the clasp. "Who are you waiting for, exactly? You keep looking at the floo with a longing expression."

"I do not!" Draco sputtered, indignant. Pansy gave him a look that said she was clearly not convinced. "If you must know, I'm wondering if Potter will bother showing up. Mother insisted I send him an invitation and if he doesn't show it's going to make me look bad."

"Potter," Pansy spat, her face going sour. "I should have known it'd be your little obsession."

"I'm not obsessed!" Draco snapped back.

"Of course your not, darling," Pansy agreed, patting his cheek patronisingly.

"Didn't you have that awful Muggle play to attend?" Draco asked, swatting her hand away with a glare. "The Nut Muncher, or something? I thought Theo was taking you?"

"Firstly, it's called the Nutcracker, not the Nut Muncher," Pansy said, wagging her finger at him. "Secondly, it's not a play, it's a ballet. And thirdly, Theo decided he'd rather take Daphne Greengrass and thanks ever so much for reminding me of that."

Draco winced, knowing Pansy's rivalry against Daphne for Theo's affections was a sore-spot, particularly since she appeared to be losing in the race. "Sorry," he muttered.

Pansy shrugged, waving her glass of champagne. "It's fine. After all, where else would I rather be?" she said with a grin.

Draco smiled back, opening his mouth to reply when the floo flared to life, immediately stealing his attention. His pulse leapt when Potter stumbled out of the fireplace, brushing soot from his emerald green dress-robes, Weasley and Granger following close behind.

Potter scanned the hall, politely nodding at the people who greeted him. His eyes softened from his warm smile as he spotted Draco, giving a polite greeting to Narcissa as was proper before making his way over.

"Oh yes," Pansy said, sounding highly amused as Potter approached. "There is definitely no where else I'd rather be right now."


End file.
